The goats are going away today, not forever, but probably until the fall. Friends have an acreage with a large, securely fenced pasture, full of tall, lush grass, and they asked if the goats could go and stay with them and clear this … Read more

A favourite hymn of mine is The day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended, and the fourth verse never fails to move me: The sun that bids us rest is waking Our brethren 'neath the western sky, And hour by hour fresh lips are making Thy wondrous … Read more

Dalton's mother tells me that he rises at 6 a.m. on Sunday mornings, and then awakens his whole family for church. She says, "He loves going to church, and can't wait to get there." At the first notes the pianist plays, Dalton jumps to … Read more

Do you have a favourite Bible verse? I would not be surprised if you do. Let me share with you one of my best-loved verses. It is found in the writings of one of my favourite apostles. Whether it is the fourth gospel, or his epistles … Read more

As I sit down to write this devotional, I am wondering where my soul will lead me today, as I am sure that the Holy Spirit flows through my fingers as my hands dash over the computer keyboard. The apostle Paul never had a computer, but … Read more

Lying in bed in the hospital recently for days, fighting pneumonia and enduring night sweats and other miseries, I was feeling so in need of a cleansing shower. As I was attached to machines and very weak, I could not make my way down the … Read more

When some of us get together and discuss the future of our churches at various functions or meetings, or with pastors on a personal basis, the conversation always seems to come around to the perception that attendance in a number of … Read more

In the churches that I have attended, I've always enjoyed serving in some capacity. I once attended a church where all the jobs seemed to have been taken. Whilst praying to be used somewhere, I realized that several times, I'd wondered … Read more

Our church holds drop-in evenings for neighbours who are curious, hurting, or seeking. During these informal, yet structured, get-togethers, we offer a meal, we share stories, and we talk about King Jesus, Who was sent to earth to save … Read more

After completing my coffee time with the Lord the other morning, I was enjoying the ever-changing panorama that my bay window greets me with every day. Suddenly, my attention was grabbed by the sight of a huge, black crow gliding down to … Read more

It kept returning — that pesky little spider! The creature was free to explore the wide world of nature during the outdoor worship service. Yet it preferred my notes — the very spot from where I was preaching. Finally, after several … Read more

Approximately six years ago, just after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, my husband had a stroke. Living with a husband who constantly leaves drawers and cupboard doors open, who is always looking for his keys and glasses, and who leaves … Read more

On a recent evening, rehearsing with our community church choir, our director had us sing "Help!" by the Beatles. All of us, being "of a certain age", knew the words pretty much by heart. After we had sung it through once, she commented … Read more

As I entered the bank and noted the long line, I thought, "Oh well, I'm not in a hurry today." Looking ahead, I saw a grey-haired lady entering the bank from the other side. I could not help but notice that when she saw me, she picked up … Read more

What looks good outwardly can occasionally be disappointing. I'm not a fruit inspector — at least not by profession — but I do inspect fruit before I purchase it. When selecting apples and oranges, I look for bruises or soft spots. If … Read more

I would like to bring greetings from my "sick-bed" to all who know what that is about! Being an old one sometimes robs us of some privileges that we once took for granted. This year, I have been registered with Brantford Lift, the city … Read more

On several recent trips to the grocery store, I noticed how various shoppers have perfected the art of selecting fresh fruits and vegetables. For example: – A thump for a sweet watermelon – A squeeze for a firm, ripe tomato – A sniff for … Read more

When we replaced our septic tank last year, it required a lot of digging and earthmoving, which resulted in the loss of our biggest grazing area for the horses and goats. In another year or two, our greenery will be restored, but in the … Read more

When reading the psalms in the middle of the Bible, have you noticed that the word Selah is positioned in various places? Speculations abound as to what this undefined word means. It mostly populates the Book of Psalms, where this … Read more

For the past several summers, my husband and I and another couple have been attending mud volleyball tournaments to show our support for the youth and the counsellors at the summer church camp that we attend. Mud volleyball is played … Read more

Last summer, I was in the hospital suffering from very high blood pressure, when the doctor tried something new on me. He put the pill aside and just gave me the liquid medicine to drink. It worked. The Lord had done a new thing and I had … Read more

On June 15th, 2015, one of my two remaining sisters, three years my junior, was admitted to the hospital. At that time, she was suffering from an undisclosed intestinal problem. She was unable to eat properly, and she was dehydrated. The … Read more

I read in the newspaper that our emergency 9-1-1 call centre is having to deal will a ton of false calls from users of cell phones that have one-button emergency dialing. Some may also be children playing with unattended phones. I can … Read more

I was watching our young pup as she worked at extracting the remaining hidden piece of a dog biscuit from her rubber treat-dispensing toy. Not so long ago, Sparky had derived great pleasure spending many hours diligently working at mining … Read more

I often notice people adding salt to their meal without tasting it first to see if it needs a little extra flavour. They just assume that it will be bland. Today, if a certain dish tastes bland, we might say that it needs a little zing. … Read more

This is a wise question — especially in view of today's wastefulness. Questioning needless waste is reasonable! But apparently, it wasn't one day when at a dinner party a woman poured an entire pint of perfume on Jesus. It was worth a … Read more

When I was a child living on a farm in southern Ontario, we had no electricity or running water. We also had two wood stoves. There were no chimney sweeps, so father cleaned the chimney, but our mother and we kids cleaned the stovepipes. … Read more

The air was warm, and a gentle breeze caressed my face. I was sitting in a recliner on the back porch of our house. Our view is amazing: pine trees, oak trees, and other tall trees surround the backyard property. As I was relaxing, I … Read more

This morning, I was driving through badly needed rain to have my vehicle serviced. As I looked to my left, I saw a break in the rain. The sun was shining brightly on a point of land. The contrast of the red shore, the blue water, the … Read more

Imagine what it would be like to be able to walk up to someone from your past — someone whom you have not seen for years — and give them a hug or a handshake, and thank them for how they allowed the Lord to help you in your Christian … Read more

One was large and the other small, but they both needed to learn a lesson. I once owned an Eskimo Spitz. My family owned a much larger dog that I inherited when they moved away. I lived in the country. There were no leash laws to abide … Read more